About 165 people attended the auction at Pacific University’s Washburne Hall. Businesspeople and city officials alike mingled and bid on items ranging from vacation packages to tickets to see the Portland Trail Blazers.

It was the first Chamber auction under executive director Howard Sullivan, as well as the first to include Cornelius businesses. Members of Cornelius' former chamber of commerce joined Forest Grove’s chamber last year.

Chamber board president Mike Hundley said the addition of Cornelius has “strengthened both chambers.”

He could not provide how much the Chamber raised in the auction. Preliminary estimates are based on money raised from the oral auction and a cash auction, not including the silent auction prizes or independent donations.

Sixteen businesses sponsored the event, including The Oregonian, more than any the Chamber saw before, Hundley said.

The Chamber adopted the university's colors to show the theme of the night's festivities: “to get [the Chamber] out of the red and into the black.”

During his remarks, Hundley said the money raised from the auction would go toward hiring a new staffer to take on more in-office responsibility and allow Sullivan more time in the community.

“We need a staff person,” said Camille Miller, the city’s liaison to the Chamber. “One of Howard’s fortes is dealing with people. We want to give him that freedom.”

Sullivan agreed. “I’m more of a face-to-face guy. I’d do better by getting out to Chamber members,” and attracting new ones, he said.

Getting more Chamber members means the organization “will get out of the red,” he said.

Miller said the Chamber has taken care of the tax issue and has moved forward with generating more funds.

“We’ve picked ourselves up,” Miller said.

Pacific University president Lesley Hallick took home the two most expensive packages of what Miller called “the most unique prize of the night”: two six-day packages South African photo safari tour for two. Each package cost her $3,250.

“I’m excited,” Hallick said, thanking the Chamber for putting on the auction.

“It’s my favorite one,” she said. “Everyone here is part of the community. It’s intimate. You know everyone and it’s close to where you live and work.”

Two years ago, Hallick won her own red-and-black fire hydrant, a staple of the Chamber auction provided by the City of Forest Grove each year. She keeps it tucked away in her office.

Her colleague Monica Marvin, director of legal affairs at Pacific, won three watercolor paintings by painter Mollie Favour.

She said the watercolor paintings will likely go toward the Pacific University Legends auction or the university’s art collection.